Passengers: Crying baby gets mother kicked off TriMet bus

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HILLSBORO, Ore. – A TriMet bus driver kicked a mother and her baby off a bus Thursday night because the baby was crying, according to a woman who was on that bus.

Now TriMet is investigating the incident after receiving a number of complaints from passengers.

“The baby was crying. Not screaming, just a fussy, tired baby,” said passenger Jennifer Chapman.

Chapman said the female driver stopped the bus, and told the mother if she couldn’t keep her baby quiet she’d have to get off.

“Some people around me were saying ‘it’s not bothering us, why is it bothering you?’” Chapman said. “And I spoke up to the driver that she’s a baby! Babies don’t work that way. You can’t just turn them off.”

Chapman said the bus driver went to the back of the bus where the mother was sitting and told her to get off.

“I said ‘you can’t kick a woman off with her baby at night in the middle of Hillsboro,’” said Chapman. “And she said ‘if you don’t like it, get off the bus.’”

TriMet would not comment beyond confirming the complaints and an active investigation into the incident.

Chapman said eventually every other passenger got off the bus in protest and waited for the next one.

She spoke in Spanish to the mother, who did not speak much English, and explained to her what was going on.

“I told her ‘they’re getting off for you. They’re getting off to support you,” said Chapman. “They’re getting off because that driver’s crazy.”